When Luck is All You Have
by OfMusicandMayhem
Summary: I have gained power that I had never thought possible. I have faced monsters and Titans and survived. Now, I gamble my soul. What else does one have to lose when standing on the edge of oblivion? Sequel to When Opportunity Strikes.
1. Chapter 1

**And here we are! The next story! I thank you all for being patient while I took the time to write this. For all my stories afterward, I'll be putting up a progress report in my profile. I'll let you know now that this story won't be as long as When Opportunity Strikes, both in chapters and words. Updates should be every Saturday. If you haven't read When Opportunity Strikes, I suggest you do so before reading this one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

**So without further ado, I give you: When Luck is All You Have.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 01 – Long Day, Late Night<p>

Okay, first off: it wasn't _my_ fault that the camp's arena was destroyed...or at least I think it wasn't. But I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, all you need to know is that in the _amazing_ life of Jade Egilhard, my reputation is crap and my life is down the drain. Last year I helped to stop two titans and a rogue demigod from doing some terrible ritual – for what, I never found out. Anyway, you'd think I'd have a little more popularity because of that, but after a while it just got worse than before. Even Kyle and Lucy, my own siblings, were against me!

So yeah, like I said, my reputation is crap. Not that I cared too much about reputation. No, all I cared about was when Krios and Dunstan decided to rear their ugly heads again. Well, that and who I was fighting against in Capture-the-Flag.

Even though most of my rep was bad, when it came to Capture-the-Flag I was usually one of the first to be picked. Today, I was on the Ares team. My job was simple enough. Defend the flag. It wasn't the first time I had the position, so the team leader put me in charge of the rest of our flag defenders: four swordsmen, three archers.

It was a simple strategy, but for me it was also tried and true. I set up each of the swordsmen (including me) at each of the cardinal points and had them patrol around the flag. The three archers were up in the trees, triangulating the flag, ready to shoot at enemies.

The horn sounded and the game began. It was a while before anyone came. At first there were a few stragglers, new kids who were as lost as could be, but then some challenge came. I could hear the fight on the other side of the patrol area. I figured most of the patrol had already gone to help, so I kept my eyes open. All of my instincts told me that party was just a distraction.

I was right. There was only one, but I wasn't about to drop my guard.

Silently, I took out my Sica: sixteen inches of a large, curved, celestial bronze dagger. I sneaked up behind the guy, trying to get close enough to brain him. My hand moved like lightning, but the teenager was just as fast at blocking. When we locked blades, I took a look at his face.

Grant. Of course.

Grant is my boyfriend, uh, ex-boyfriend. I'd love to explain the story to you now, but I'm busy trying to maim someone at the moment.

When he noticed me I saw surprise in his eyes, which quickly turned to determination. We were on opposite sides after all. He pushed me away then went straight into a diagonal slash. I ducked and rolled to my left, making to stab at his side.

He parried and countered making his own stab. I jumped back, but came in close again. And again, we locked our weapons together. This time, however, I snaked my foot around his ankle and tripped him.

Just as I was about to stab him in the face, the horn sounded. The game was over. I was seriously thinking about finishing my attack (my fingers drummed the hilt), but that would get me kicked out of camp for sure. I got up and walked toward my team's base. The flag was still there. The Ares team had won.

XxXxX

I sat mostly alone at the Caerus cabin's dinner table. Kyle and Lucy were at one end while I was at the other. I didn't blame them - I was sulking again. Remember that story I said I'd love to tell you? Well, it's like this: Grant and I had been dating over the past year. Then he started getting more and more distant, just like the other campers. By the end of the first month back at camp, he had dumped me. The only reason he gave me was that I had changed and not for the better.

So I had gained a little more confidence and I was looking for a challenge or two, no big deal, right? At least I had thought so at the time. Now I was beginning to worry. What had changed about me that drove everyone away? Well, almost everyone I should say. There was only one other person at camp who seemed to understand what I was going through.

That person was Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades. I promised a little late-night practice with him and if people believed anything about me anymore, it was that I kept my word. As I walked into the arena, I let my senses roam. This wasn't the first time he'd tried to sneak up on me.

He came out of nowhere from the left. I parried and the battle commenced. As we sparred, I decided to tell him about my worries.

"Nico? Do you think I've been becoming different ever since my fight against Perses?" He seemed to think about that as I attacked.

"Yeah, but that was your first major battle – against a titan no less. I would be surprised if there wasn't a little bit of change." I believed him, but I could tell that wasn't all of what he thought.

"Don't hide anything, Nico."

"I'm not!" He defended. I just stared, unblinkingly, at him until he decided to cave (another tried and true strategy). He sighed, "Don't get angry, okay? You've been acting strange since you came back to camp this summer. You're becoming a daredevil, battle-hungry. You're acting more violent and angry."

"So are the Ares kids –"

"_They_ have a reason." I got angry. I started fighting harder and holding back nothing.

_SLASH!_

Before I could realize what I was doing, I had cut a gash in his shoulder. It wasn't that deep and could easily be fixed, but still…what came over me? I reached for some bandages.

"Nico, I'm _so,_ _so,_ sorry. I-I don't know what just happened!" He stared at me and I had a sneaking suspicion that he could read my mind. He knew that I had just proven him right, but he didn't try to use it against me. In fact, I thought I saw a flash of confusion cross his features. After I finished bandaging his shoulder, we decided that it would be best to call it a night.

XxXxX

_What the hell is wrong with me_? My mind was racing with the worry of attacking the only friend I had left at camp. It took a while, but I was eventually able to fall asleep. Lately it seemed that even my mind hated me. Every night it was the same dream.

At face value, nothing looked different. New York City's streets were crowded as always, the people talking with each other over the sounds of traffic. But my gut kept telling me something was wrong. As I looked closer, I noticed that the people were traveling in groups and looking over their shoulders as if they were being followed. The talking I heard came in hushed whispers. This was _not_ normal.

Then the crowd parted for a man. He, unlike everyone else did not seem paranoid. He actually seemed to be the cause of it. Every instinct I had told me he was a monster, but when I tried to look past the Mist, the only thing I accomplished was to make my vision fuzzy. It was about then that I inevitably woke up.

And so I did, but I wasn't in my cabin. I was back in the arena - Or what was left of it. The dummies were on fire, the arms racks were in splinters with their weapons strewn all over the place, in some places the wall and floor were destroyed. It was a completely different place than it was last night, and as Chiron and the campers came to see what had happened, I was in the middle of it all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 02 – The Prophecy and the Memory<p>

"Jade, what are we supposed to think? Everyone saw you in the middle of the arena. You were the last to leave. Right now all of the evidence is pointing to you."

"I _told_ you! I went to sleep in my cabin and I woke up there. If I _did_ destroy the place I wasn't even aware of it!"

All morning I had been arguing with Chiron in the big house. I knew I was acting rude, but I was getting angry again. The only explanation I had was that someone must have demolished the arena and dragged me there while I was still asleep. The only problem was that I was a light sleeper so I would have woken up when they tried to take me. Obviously, it wasn't a good enough excuse.

"Aware of it or not, much of the camp's property has been damaged. Now you can calm down and help us find out what happened or you can continue to sit here and act childishly." I hated when he acted all logical.

"I don't see the point," Mr. D said, "Just let me get rid of her. If she's the one who did it, then there's no more destruction. If she didn't, we at least send a message to the _real_ saboteur." There was a good chance he only said that so he wouldn't have to deal with one more camper.

Chiron sighed in frustration, "Mr. D, that's a little extreme for –"

Saved by the knock. When Chiron allowed entry, a red-headed girl walked in. She must've been in her early twenties. I had only seen her once before but I recognized her instantly: Rachel, the Oracle of Delphi.

"Chiron, have you seen my iPod? Oh, hi Jade!" She talked as if we've been friends all our lives. Before the activities director could answer, Rachel said, "Oh, never mind, the Hermes cabin took it."

I don't know what it was, but I started feeling sick. She turned to leave, but then stopped. The next thing I knew, thick green mist came out of nowhere. You'd think I'd be used to weird things by now, but this was above and beyond creepy. Then Rachel started to speak, but it wasn't her voice:

"_A hero alone shall take the stride._

_Another's will shall they abide._

_South one leads, one follows blind_

_With lying words whispered in mind._

_Two shall search and one shall find._

_The liar's face shall be defined._

_With loss of friend and two held dear,_

_A hero meets a fate severe."_

Then the mist disappeared. Rachel shook her head, like she was trying to clear her thoughts. She looked at me and I figured I must have been a sight because she seemed to be holding back laughter. Taking my bearings, I noticed I had nearly climbed onto a side-table in order to get away.

"I take it I just told a prophecy?" She said sheepishly.

XxXxX

"Come on Chiron! I was the only demigod there. The prophecy must have been for me!" I'm sure if I was anyone else I would have gotten the quest, but since I had just allegedly wrecked the arena, I was still under camp arrest.

"I'm sorry Jade, but I can't let you go until you're name has been cleared." I was having trouble trying to keep up with him, seeing as he was half horse, but I was determined.

"What better way to do it than to go on a quest?" He stopped so abruptly near the lake that I almost fell in.

"Jade," He started, looking at me with sad eyes. There may have been a little regret, too, "I believe you when you say you're innocent, but…there's more than one reason I don't want to let you go on this quest."

"Why?" Though I already knew what he was going to say.

"You've been acting very rash, child. I'm afraid that if I let you go, it'll only cause you to fail." Ouch. Coming from Chiron, that was a bit harsh. I didn't say another word to him as I left for my cabin.

When I entered, I saw Lucy sitting on my bed. She must have been waiting for me.

"Lucy," I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why did you do it, Jade?"

"If you mean the arena, I had nothing to do with it. I just woke up and I was there."

"But I saw you leave last night."

I left the cabin of my own free will? But that was impossible! Unless I walked past all the harpies, lit a match, and used a wrecking ball all in my sleep. All I could say was, "What?"

"I saw you," she insisted in a stronger tone, "You got up and I asked you if something was happening. You said, 'Everything's alright, Lucy. I'm just going to practice a bit.'"

I had never been more scared in my life. According to Lucy, I was completely aware of everything that happened. As if it were called, an image popped into my head. I had just finished lighting the last dummy and I was looking around at all I had done. I could feel the maniacal excitement in every fiber of my body. For a terrifying second I had thought about doing the same to the cabins, but thought that would have been too much for one night.

What had I done?

"Lucy," I began slowly, "I swear on the river Styx that I did not destroy the arena." I knew it was true no matter what that image implied – I knew in my gut that the person who did all that was not me.

My little sister stared at me for a few seconds, seeming to consider my words. She nodded. Thank the gods that someone believed me! With a quick goodbye she left for archery. When I was sure I was alone, I sank to the floor and started to cry.

XxXxX

At some point during my crying fit, I had made my way over to the bed. I didn't dare go to sleep for fear that I would subconsciously try to set fire to the camp again. Even if I had wanted to go to sleep, I don't think I could have. A small part of my brain registered that Kyle and Lucy had come in and gone to bed, so I assumed that night had already fallen. I hadn't felt Kyle giving me one of his pity stares, so I could only guess that Lucy had convinced him of my innocence…or what I hoped was innocence.

What if something bad happened again? Would I go through with that plan to burn down the cabins? Could I really put my siblings and everyone else in danger? Did I have any other choice? No. Nothing bad would happen because of me, because I wouldn't allow it. I wouldn't put anyone in danger, because I wouldn't be here to do it. There was no other choice, I had to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 03 – On My Own<p>

It wasn't long after I left that I was attacked. It was only a stray hellhound, not much of a fight. When my father said my life would get more challenging, I was hoping for a little more than this. A monster every now and then was nothing compared to last year. At least I had my bow this time if something worse _did_ happen

I realized the distance from camp to the city was longer than I'd originally thought, so by the time I reached a suitable hotel to stay in, it was already night-time again. It definitely wasn't five-star, but at least it had a bed. I didn't even take my shoes off, just threw myself onto the bed and waited for sleep to take me.

But while I waited, my mind started to wander. I thought over what I had just done: was it the right choice? Well, there wasn't any going back now and I certainly wasn't putting the other campers in danger. Then I started to wonder who would be the one to get the quest I was so eager to get my hands on, but the first line of the prophecy came back to me – '_A hero alone shall take the stride._' I had left the camp alone, did that mean I got the quest after all? Before I could think through it any further, my waiting paid off and I fell asleep.

XxXxX

The first thing I felt when I woke up was feeling like I had been run over by a truck. The next thing I noticed was that I couldn't move very well. I soon found out why. I was hanging from the ceiling by chains. I looked around and saw that I was in what appeared to be a warehouse. There were boxes everywhere. One of them was open, and when I looked inside it I paled. Guns. What the hell had I gotten myself into this time?

"Ah, so the little girlie's awake! About time." I swung myself around to see a man. It was obvious that this guy didn't work here. He was dressed in expensive clothes, but I had a feeling he didn't buy them with his own money. Then I noticed there were a few other people around him. "Aren't you a little young to be playing with guns?" I was tempted to ask him the same until he held up my dagger.

_Hell. No._

The man continued, "If you wanted to pick a fight with us, maybe you should've brought something that worked…or something a little bigger. This thing is tiny."

"One could say the same for you." I retorted. I could see his friends (if you could call them that) trying not to laugh and the man gave me a forced smile. I took in my surroundings some more and saw that I wasn't chained to the ceiling as I first expected. The chain that bound me was hooked onto a crane – how dumb could these guys be? The leader – as I assumed he was – came forward to whisper a threat into my ear.

"You're going to regret saying that, girlie."

"Dumb _and_ theatrical…this should be easy!" I saw confusion and anger flash across his face before I kicked him in the stomach and launched myself backwards. As he scrambled back up he started to draw his handgun, but I swung back quick enough that I was able to kick that out of his hand.

I had wanted to swing right out of the hook, but my plan didn't work very well. Instead I just swung straight back. Do you know how hard it is to get enough momentum to swing yourself off a crane hook? I found out the hard way. Thankfully, if you get close enough to a stack of crates that you can kick off of, it makes that job marginally easier.

I was extremely lucky that the rest of the group were extremely slow to respond, of course I still had to dodge a couple bullets when they finally did. Dodging bullets was another thing that I found particularly difficult. I got away with a few grazes. That's when I flew off the crane. And straight into the guys that were shooting at me. I bowled them over, but not before I felt a surge of pain in my right ankle.

I didn't have time to think about it. Once I was free of the crane, the chains loosened. I squirmed out of it and started whipping it around, successfully knocking out or incapacitating most of the guys. For the rest, I managed to pull one of those chandelier tricks that worked so well in movies. Only instead of a chandelier, it was a net. The net also had a few empty crates in it, so I probably gave them a concussion too.

I had completely forgotten about the leader, until he had his gun back in hand. Fortunately for me, he was a terrible shot. I rushed behind a stack of crates.

"I don't know who you are or what you want," he said, a little shaken, "But you're not going to live long enough to explain it to me."

I quietly maneuvered around the illegal stash, rolling my eyes at the clichéd phrases he was using. When I peeked into the area he was in, he was turning around, trying to find me. When his back was turned, I rush up and knocked the pistol out of his hand once again.

He was better at hand-to-hand than he was at shooting, but it didn't make much difference. Soon I was just playing around with him: laughing, making faces. Then he landed a hit. That set me off. I knocked him down and he started crawling away, toward his gun. I simply walked over and grabbed it myself. He froze when I aimed it at him point blank.

He didn't say a word – afraid that I'd shoot him. I was still angry for him hitting me even though I had worse. I don't know what had driven me to react like that. But there was a voice in the back of my head telling me to shoot him, to kill him. He had most likely done the same to so many others. I was tempted.

Then I looked into the criminal's fear-filled eyes. What the Hades was _wrong_ with me? Here I was trying to justify murdering someone! Someone that, even though he was a criminal, was still human! Before I could be tempted again by the desire to take his life, I clubbed him with the weapon. As I threw the handgun to the side, I retrieved my dagger from him. Then I ran out of the warehouse.

I was glad that the warehouse was so close to the street, and I was even luckier that there happened to be a payphone. Using the tricks I picked up from the Hermes cabin, I hotwired the phone and called nine-one-one.

"I'd like to make an anonymous tip."

XxXxX

Finding a place to hide out in for the moment, I quickly dug through my backpack (which the criminals left at the door for some idiotic reason). The bullet wound was fast becoming one of my least favorite injuries. I definitely had some bad ones, and the scars to prove it. In fact, I ended up getting so many that the Apollo cabin gave me my own trauma kit. Of course, I left it back at camp. But there was nothing a little bit of nectar couldn't fix.

When I was done, I leaned against a wall and thought over the fight I just had. I was terrified of myself. Was I going insane?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 04 – Rage<p>

South. That was where I was heading. I didn't know why I was going that way, what was there, or even where I was now. All I knew was that that was where I needed to go. I had already lost track of how many days had gone by, but I doubted my math would have been very accurate anyway. Many nights I had taken an oblivious stroll further south. I still didn't have a clue what was happening and it became more and more frustrating. I had even tried tying myself to a tree, but all I got out of it was a stiff back and few miles' distance from the campsite – not to mention a shortage of rope. Thankfully those nights were becoming less and less, as I had finally given up on trying to fight it.

But I still worried and apparently I still had time to. The trail of light that I could see through my pair of enchanted glasses (a gift from dad) seemed to go on forever – past big cities and small neighborhoods, and back to the forest again. I absently wondered if the place I was heading to was Antarctica. At least there would be no bears.

_Of course_, I thought, _where there be nothing else…there be monsters._

That was the sad, unfortunate truth when it came to life as a demigod. More often than not though, I found myself questioning whether it was 'sad and unfortunate' or not. I was only just beginning to realize what everyone meant by me being changed, but part of me just didn't want to care. Yes, there definitely were monsters.

Including nearby, it seemed. I quickly ducked into hiding when I saw an unusually large group of them: Laistrygonian giants. They hadn't sensed me, yet. I assumed it had something to do with the smell coming from a bunch of animal carcasses scattered around (I nearly gagged) or maybe because they were fighting each other over the only girl there. Guys will be guys, no matter what species they are.

My instincts were rebelling against me again. They didn't know I was here, so why hadn't I just turned around and left already? I thought back to last year, when I had been captured by one of these and was brought to my enemies to be killed. I wanted revenge, but that was a year ago. Revenge was entirely unfounded and I was outnumbered anyway. But if I don't get rid of these monsters now, they would kill someone else.

I gave in. I took my bow out of my backpack, which doubled as my makeshift quiver, and quickly notched an arrow. The arrow flew and embedded itself into the back of one's head – instant sand pile. I was able to get in a few more shots before I switched to my Sica.

I quickly decapitated a charging giant and began my usual series of slices and stabs. One by one they disintegrated, but there were still a lot of them.

Then I was hit – launched into a tree. I gasped in pain at the same time I heard one of my ribs crack. The monsters were slowly advancing on me, but kept hesitating to fight with each other. I couldn't hear them over the sound of my heart thrumming in my ears but I figured it was something along the lines of: "It's my turn to eat the half-blood!"

It hurt like hell, but I tried to sneak away as they became more focused on each other. I wasn't so lucky. An involuntary hiss drew their attention right back to me, and I found myself fending off a giant from the ground.

That's when it happened: though my life was in danger, my power did not come to aid me. Instead, my blood started to boil and a foreign strength surged through me, dulling any pain I had. With a feral snarl I killed the giant above me, jumped up, and charged straight into the fray. One by one the monsters fell by either my dagger or my bare hands. It was unlike me, terrible and frightening.

I was enjoying every second of it. The more monsters I killed, the more bloodthirsty I became. They started running from me in terror, but I gave them no ground. I was very disappointed when they were all gone.

For what seemed like forever, I stood in the middle of the clearing – which looked more like a beach now. Slowly, the mindless rage began to disappear and the panic began to reemerge.

"Ah!" I wailed. Panic would have to wait. After I collapsed I started rummaging through my backpack for a piece of ambrosia. I didn't search long before a hand was offered to me. I froze and stared for a second before I suddenly slashed at where the monster was standing.


	5. Chapter 5

**A belated Happy Birthday to MyNameIsNot, thanks for all the great reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story's plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 05 – Zack<p>

"Woah!" He gasped as he jumped back to avoid the blade, "Calm down! Do you Americans _always_ attack people when they offer help?" I was wrong, he wasn't a monster. Yes, I know, some monsters can look human. But how many monsters do you know of that carry celestial bronze spears?

"Umm," I started, "Sorry – ah! Damn it!" The pain came back much too quickly after the shock. He came forward and offered me ambrosia. I didn't attack him this time, but he backed away again. Once the pain dulled, I could focus on him more clearly.

The guy had brown hair down to his chin – combed back so it stayed out of his eyes, which were also a light brown color. Even from my position on the ground I could tell he was at least a head taller than me. That was another thing that caught me off guard, because I've always been taller than other people my age.

He was dressed in black slacks, a formal shirt, and a tie that was loosened up like he had just left a violin practice or something. It would have looked out-of-place on anyone else walking through the woods with a spear on their back, but he pulled it off rather well.

Then it occurred to me he was asking something, "Are you alright?" He spoke in what sounded like an Irish accent. He was hesitating on the words slightly like he couldn't understand himself. He moved his hands a lot, too.

"Fine." I lied, turning my head to hide the blush on my face.

"Sorry?"

I turned back to him, finally getting a hold on myself. "I said I was fine."

He nodded, "Zack Breckenridge, son of Demeter."

"Jade Egilhard, daughter of Caerus." He smiled and offered a hand to pull me up. His eyes never left my face.

"You did quite a number on those giants. I was about to step in, but I was afraid you would chop my head off. It seems I was right to think that." I blushed again in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that."

He shrugged, "I've had worse meetings."

"I know the feeling." I mumbled. He was confused again.

"What did you say?"

"I said I know the feeling…" I trailed off, something occurring to me, "Are you deaf?"

"Unfortunately."

"Huh." _That's why he kept staring – he's a lip reader._ "So what are you doing out here in the woods?"

"Because I feel more at home here than in the city." I suppose that made sense coming from a child of Demeter. "Follow me. You look like you could use a place to relax."

It was silent, but I couldn't exactly talk to him when he wasn't facing me. We came to another clearing where he had set up camp. It wasn't much more than a small tent and what smelled like chicken soup cooking over a fire.

I wouldn't be surprised if he actually _could_ hear my stomach rumbling then. The strange burst of strength had left me starving and tired. I was thankful when he pulled a couple of bowls out of the bag and handed me one.

"So," he asked, turning back to face me, "What are _you_ doing out here? More importantly: Why the hell would you pick a fight with so many monsters?"

"Good question," I whispered and the expected 'What' followed, "I was just wandering around. And there weren't that many when I got there."

"You're lying." Damn.

"No I'm not."

"You're_ still_ lying." I half-heartedly glared at him.

"How the hell can you tell if you can't hear my voice?"

"Body language." I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you checking me out?" I asked him teasingly.

He laughed and looked away. I didn't hear a 'no', though.

"So where are you from?" I asked. It had been bugging me the entire time.

"Ireland," He said, confirming that I_ did_ in fact get his accent right. Not something I'm naturally good at. "I came over to America about five years ago."

I nodded, then yawned. Whatever that power was made me more tired than I thought. "Is that when you found out you were a demigod?"

"No, I found about three years before."

We sat in silence for a bit while we ate. I had a second helping, which wasn't like me unless it came to Asian food but Zack was a really good cook. We shared the usual small-talk of two people meeting for the first time. I told him I was from Kentucky, about the Salvins and my three foster brothers. That led to talking about Kyle and Lucy, then Camp in general.

"I've never seen you at Camp before." I said.

"That's because I've never been." He turned away for a split second and in that moment I saw his face go from smiling to morose. When he turned back around he was smiling again, though not like he was before, "You should get some rest. I'll stay out here and keep look-out."

I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he was correct in assuming I needed some sleep. I felt like I was about to pass out any moment. I wished him goodnight, though he didn't see it for being turned around again. I walked into the tent and was asleep before I hit the sack. And the dreams continued.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story's plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 06 – Found<p>

At face value, nothing looked different.

Of course, that's how it always started. As always, people bustled along the city's streets. As always, there was the noise of many conversations, a cell phone ringing every five seconds. As always, I'd notice that it was so much more different than it had first appeared. As always, the crowd parted in front of me and the man stepped through.

But there _was_ something different. The haze that usually surrounded the dream was no longer there. The man was not a monster as I had always suspected. I could see him as clear as day. He was something far worse than any monster.

He smiled at me as if we were old friends regardless of the fact that I had never seen him in my life. He looked young, but his hair was gray from age. His eyes were a startling light lilac color, almost matching the whites of his eyes. I waited, hoping that it wasn't one of those times where the dream didn't end like it usually did.

I was disappointed. Here I stood in front of the man who was the core of everything terrible in my dream. I found myself paralyzed. But it wasn't entirely out of fear. This man radiated so much power that I was simply in awe, stunned. Then, he spoke.

XxXxX

"Jade! Wake _up_!" It was Zack. He was shaking me and looking over his shoulder. He didn't seem to be afraid, just wary.

"What?" I snapped at him. I was _not_ a morning person.

"Something just appeared out of nowhere not far from us. It may be monsters. We need to leave. Now!" He turned around to look out into the woods. I had half a mind to start cursing at him. I could take on any monster that came my way. Didn't I prove that just yesterday? I shook the thought out of my mind and grabbed my backpack like he had asked.

He didn't waste any time, taking my hand and half-dragging me away from the campsite. Zack weaved us through the trees like he had done it a thousand times before. I nearly forgot what we were running for until we jumped over a creek.

_AWWOOOOOOOOOO!_

The sound was louder than a jet engine, though it had just picked up our trail back at the campsite. The sound was unmistakable: a hellhound. And a huge one if it's howl had any merit. Zack cursed under his breath.

"They're onto us."

"No shit, Sherlock!" But I was confused on how he could tell when he was deaf. He certainly didn't hear me.

He ran faster – my legs could barely take it. I was sure I'd stumble any second. As luck would have it, I didn't – knock on wood – but that didn't get my hopes up. I could practically_feel_ the monster gaining on us. I slipped my hand out of Zack's grip, my wrist falling limp as it usually does at the worst possible moment. I slid to a stop, facing back toward the camp.

I heard Zack stumble and come back to take my hand, but I pulled away. Didn't he understand? If we kept running, we would be too tired to fight when the hellhound inevitably caught up to us. He growled in frustration and took out his spear while I armed myself left-handed. It was uncomfortable, but I was used to it.

We waited. Then I started to feel vibrations in the ground, signaling he monster's approach. A part of my mind registered that that was probably what had tipped off Zack before, given that the earth was a part of Demeter's domain. But the rest of my mind was focused on the oncoming enemy.

Closer…closer. The seconds flew by as the vibrations turned into actual sound. There was definitely no turning back now. It started slowing, throwing me off guard for a moment. Then it appeared.

It was certainly the largest hellhound I had ever seen. I fiddled with my grip a bit, nervous. It cocked its head to the side, then looked back and barked twice. I was afraid it was calling for backup. Then it charged me.

Zack and I rolled in opposite directions, the hellhound turning my way.

"Back!" I commanded. Strangely enough, it obeyed. But then it strode carefully toward me. I could see Zack, poised to strike. He lifted his spear over his shoulder as if to throw it, but he never got the chance. Another person's hand had grabbed it, stopping him.

I dared to look away from the monster to see none other than Nico di Angelo himself. That stunned me until the hellhound had licked me from head to toe.

"Ugh! Gods! Where's the nearest shower?"

"Nice to see you too, Jade." Nico laughed, then turned to the giant dog, "Mrs. O'Leary, heel!"

"You have a pet hellhound?" I asked in disbelief. Zack kept looking between the two of us, obviously trying to make sense of the situation.

"No. She belongs to a friend of mine. I borrowed her so we could find you."

"'We?'" As if on cue, there was rustling in the trees, and out popped the person I least expected to see: Grant. I stared at him as if _he _were the monster. Obviously, Zack thought the same. He hissed and charged Grant.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story's plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 07 – The Past Comes Back to Bite<p>

Zack charged Grant, starting a good, old fashioned, roll-in-the-mud fist-fight between them. Normally, I would've paid to see two guys going at it, but this was _not_ the time or the place. Both Nico and I were stunned for a second before we ran in to try and break them up.

Nico went for Grant, having to dodge a few flyaway punches himself. He eventually just put him in a headlock. I barely had a hold of Zack. The guy was stronger than he looked.

"STOP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Mrs. O'Leary whined in agreement (or what I supposed it was). The boys gradually stopped struggling, though their glares only became more intense. "What the _hell_ has gotten into you two?"

"Ask _him_!" They both said. I would have laughed if not for the situation. Grant looked at me, his gaze softening.

"We've met."

"I can see that! Explain what happened to make you want to murder each other!"

Grant sneered and glared again at the son of Demeter, "Four years ago, during the war. He was fighting for the Titans, the bastard."

I stiffened, nearly losing my grip on Zack. There wasn't a cause for worry though, because he was just as still. He was staring at the ground as Grant continued.

"We fought. He nearly killed me! I used this...shrieking grenade that a Hephaestus camper wanted to test in order to escape." I blinked. A shrieking grenade? Would that have caused Zack to lose his hearing? My grip was long lost but Zack was still there. I tapped his shoulder and he hesitantly looked at me.

"Is that true, Zack? You fought for the Titans? Grant made you go deaf?" I asked in a whisper. He nodded.

"But I'm not on their side now. I regret joining in the first place," He tried to mend, "You can trust me."

"You just attacked my friend – again, apparently!" In my peripheral vision, I saw Grant wince.

"Can you blame me?" I honestly couldn't. Old wounds, reopened. I paused for a moment, running my hands through my hair as I paced a short distance. Then I turned back to them.

"Okay, you two. I'm calling a truce." Both argued, but I wasn't going to hear it, "I mean it! Shake hands boys, you're going to be the best of friends until we get back to camp. Or complete the prophecy or whatever."

There was silence, then a chorus of, "Prophecy?"

XxXxX

It took a while, but both Grant and Zack had put aside their differences – though they had refused to shake hands. I was counting down the time until they either: A) attacked each other again or B) started shouting insults at each other. For now, all attention was on me while I sat with a giant hellhound behind me. Needless to say, I was nervous.

"So what is this prophecy, Jade? Chiron never said anything about it." Nico explained.

"I don't know why Chiron never told anyone. Maybe it was because I had left and made myself the object of the prophecy anyway."

"So what did it say?"

"_A hero alone shall take the stride. Another's will shall they abide. South one leads, one follows blind with lying words whispered in mind. Two shall search and one shall find. The liar's face shall be defined. With loss of friend and two held dear, a hero meets a fate severe._" Silence followed as everyone thought about what it meant.

Zack opened his mouth to give his two cents but then abruptly stopped. He looked toward the west. And I heard, again, howling on the wind. This was something different, though. It was as if my name were being called over and over. I recognized the voice belonging to someone I knew from Louisville. But why they hell was he here, unless….

I paled. "No…no…anything but that!" I got curious stares from everyone. But we quickly jumped into a fighting stance. Mrs. O'Leary growled, not playfully this time. Then they emerged – three red-furred dog-wolf creatures with a rigid jawbone in place of teeth. Each of them was almost the same size as the hellhound next to me.

"Leucrocotae," Grant said, confirming my fears.

Mrs. O'Leary rushed one, completely occupying its attention. Zack and Nico took another while Grant and I took the last. I rolled out of the way of its paw when it tried to swipe me. It would have taken my head clean off. Grant took the opportunity to stab it but it knocked him back. It didn't slow Grant – he just rolled and charged back into the fray.

I couldn't see what the others were doing, but I heard a whimper or two coming from a monster. The ground shook as Mrs. O'Leary and her opponent tumbled behind us.

I chopped, sliced, and stabbed away as everything went into a blur of instincts. "Damn monsters! Die already!"

The anger was starting to build up again. After the Laistrygonian incident, I could feel it much more clearly (as clear as anger could be anyway). It had an almost physical presence. My moves became much more sloppy and I started to forget that the others were even there.

I began attacking every monster coming within reach of my Sica. I very nearly attacked Mrs. O'Leary, but I had stopped myself at the last second.

I yelled in pain as the claws of a Leucrocota ripped through my shoulder, but otherwise I paid no attention to the injury. The hellhound then ripped the throat out of the monster. It was easy to destroy another one of my enemies. It was child's play to finish off the last.

I was soon out of breath and in pain. I sank to the ground and barely noticed when Grant had come to fix my shoulder. The anger subsided.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 08 – Repairs<p>

It was silent as Grant worked on my shoulder. I was starting to feel light-headed from the blood-loss. I noticed that Nico and Zack had gone off on their own – probably to heal their own wounds – and Mrs. O'Leary had gone with them. So that left just the two of us…alone and in an awkward situation.

"Um, thanks."

"It's no problem." He said, shrugging. The motion made him poke my shoulder a bit. I winced, but he didn't notice it. Silence settled again. I didn't want to be forward, but it seemed there wasn't much else to choose from.

"Why did _you_ come to find me?" No response. I could tell he wasn't trying to hide anything, just thinking about what to say. He finished patching me up and sat up straight, looking me in the eyes.

"I felt I had to." He finally answered. That confused me. Last I checked he tried to avoid me at all costs. He must have seen the look of disbelief on my face, because he said, "I'm serious. Plus, Nico thought that something was wrong with you."

"Subtle."

"That came out wrong."

"Sure it did."

He shook his head. "He said that lately he's been sensing something about you that was…affecting your soul – or something along those lines. I can't understand him half the time."

I remembered the confused look Nico had when we sparred not long ago. Was that one of the moments where he sensed something off about me? It didn't seem surprising given what had happened to me since. Grant continued, "And now that I've heard the prophecy –"

"_Another's will shall they abide._ You think that I'm being possessed?"

"We can't rule out everything." He paused. "Look, Jade. I'm sorry."

That surprised me. "For what? Something I can't control?"

"Exactly. This thing – whatever it is – seems to have been happening for a while now. I overreacted when…." He trailed off, avoiding my eyes.

"When…you broke up with me?" He grimaced, but nodded. I pondered over that for a bit, then smiled a little and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, silently giving him my forgiveness.

"And I'm sorry you had to run into _that guy_. How _did_ you two meet anyway?"

_And, back to the old rivalry._ I sighed and ran a hand through my hair (I couldn't help but notice with irritation that it had fallen out of the ponytail it usually was in), "Can't you two just stop? He helped me after I got into a big fight with a bunch of monsters. That was only yesterday. Other than that, I've been eating, walking, and sleepwalking. Well, almost. There was this incident back in the city involving some mortals."

It was then that Mrs. O'Leary ran back up to us. I instinctively scooted away, but Grant just reached up to scratch her ear. The other two boys were back as well, seemingly all healed up. Zack kept his distance, but glared openly at Grant.

"We need to keep going. If we stay here for too long, we'll most likely have a horde of monsters bearing down on us." Zack's logic was sound, but Grant jumped up and stared hostilely at son of Demeter.

"And why's that? For all we know, you could be the liar that the prophecy mentioned!"

I stared, open-mouthed at him, "Grant! That's _way_ over the line!"

"Is it?" He turned on me, "He's already kept you in the dark about working with the Titans."

"That's no reason to jump to conclusions!" Zack argued, "Especially wrong ones! I already told you that I regret ever making that decision."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move. When I looked to it, I saw that huge weeds had grown. It took me a few seconds to put two and two together, but I realized that Zack must have been losing control of his powers. They were yelling over each other by now. I could barely understand what was being said. Both Mrs. O'Leary and Nico were covering their ears, trying to block out the sound. I didn't blame them in the slightest.

_They want a scream-fest? Fine._

"THAT'S ENOUGH, DAMMIT! YOU TWO ARE ACTING LIKE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS!" They immediately stopped and looked at me in surprise and guilt. "Good. Now, I'm sure we can afford one night of rest. We all certainly need it."

I walked away from them, heading toward a tree to lay against. I didn't know what the others did afterward, but I didn't care. I just closed my eyes and went straight to sleep, where my dreams continued to haunt me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 09 – To Lose Again<p>

This dream, nightmare, whatever, was different than the one I had been having for gods know how long. The place was…strange, to say the least. I couldn't find any other words that could explain what it was exactly. I knew where I was along with everything else, but I couldn't see anything. I knew that I was still asleep, but it was as if I wasn't in my own body. It was disorienting, but still so clear.

Then something changed – or else had I just started to notice it. Another presence was with me, seeming to cloud these strange senses with a burning haze. It should have frightened me, but it was eerily familiar. I realized that this presence was the source of the strength and the anger that had been growing within me. Then whatever it was started speaking to me – its voice didn't reach my ears, but the words were as clear as day.

"Damn! I had hoped that you wouldn't find me here." It was decidedly male.

"Who are you? What are you doing inside my…whatever this place is?" Like him, I had no voice but I knew what was being said. The man remained silent, but I could feel him glaring at me. "Answer me!"

"Your place isn't to command me, girl! Now, begone!"

"You're the intruder here!" I could tell I was treading on already-thin patience.

The being growled, then I felt a terrible smile cut across his face. "Fine. You want to stay here? Enjoy the show."

He left, leaving me feeling confused and with a sense of foreboding. What show? Then a sharp, burning pain filled my sleeping form and I knew where he went. Grant was right, I _was_ possessed! This wasn't a dream. This person had been the one moving me just about every night while I was unconscious. He was the one Lucy saw that night and the one who destroyed the arena! Everything finally made perfect, terrifying sense.

Then my eyes opened. I watched as my body, still weak from just waking up, shakily stood and stretched. I…he…looked around at the two other sleeping forms of Grant and Zack on the opposite sides of the small clearing we were in. Nico and Mrs. O'Leary were nowhere in sight. I absently wondered, under the shock, where they had gone. Apparently the invader wondered the same, because they frowned and went searching for them. Was I feeling his intentions?

I sensed something near the small creek that Zack and I had jumped over before, and I knew that was where Nico was. He - we? - started heading that way. I saw a light up ahead – Nico was Iris Messaging someone. Then I saw him just as he waved his hand through the mist, a flashlight in the other. He switched it off and turned to us.

"Nico," The imposter asked in my own voice. The feeling was strange. "Who were you talking to?"

"A friend. I told him that we had found you and that I was sending Mrs. O'Leary back." Then the son of Hades frowned, "What are you doing up?"

I shrugged, "I just woke up. I didn't see you in the clearing, so I decided to go look for you."

Suddenly, there was noise coming from where Zack and Grant were sleeping. I could hear yelling and the sound of metal clashing against metal. Sword fighting. Nico started toward the noise, but my possessor (I _still_ couldn't find out his name) stopped him.

"They're probably just fighting again. Let them get it out of their system." One look at Nico's eyes told me that he didn't believe a word. He could tell something was up. I was thankful for that, because I knew that Grant and Zack weren't fighting each other. I could see it in the man's mind, he was working for Krios! Right now, monsters and rogue demigods alike were attacking my two friends.

I struggled against the barrier he had placed. I tried to scream at Nico that he should go help them! I must have started to affect the barrier, because my body swayed and had to lean against a tree. I was pretty sure that I had given myself a pretty good migraine. In my mind I heard: _Shut up!_ And I was forced back, away from the wall. My whole being shook like an earthquake. I was glad that I couldn't feel my own pain in this form.

Nico came forward to help me, the distrust forgotten. _No!_ I tried to scream. But it was too late. The invader used the opportunity to grab Nico's wrist and pin him against the tree, taking his sword from him in the process. At first I wondered how, but when I focused I could sense strange energy (probably the same strength I felt from before) being channeled through my body. Judging by the way this guy used it, I was sure this was only a small amount.

"Jade! What are you doing?" Nico demanded. I didn't respond. He was waiting for Grant and Zack's attackers to come. Being reminded of that, I turned my attention back to where they were fighting. Nothing. Either my friends had won, or they had lost. I could hear the noise of someone walking through the forest, heading our way. We were going to find out.

I was disappointed. It was neither Grant nor Zack but a woman, perhaps a few years older than I was. Nico stopped struggling and glared at the newcomer, though I could guess his thoughts were still on why I would attack him and not the enemy. My possessor looked at the woman.

"What are you standing around for?"

"I'm sorry, my lord." Said the woman, bowing. The confusion was evident on Nico's face as it would have been on mine, but it soon turned to a knowing one. He started struggling again, no longer worried about harming me. I realized that the few times we'd sparred, he was holding back his own strength (which annoyed me a bit). Even my body's intruder had a difficult time keeping him at bay. Then the woman stepped forward and touched the son of Hades' forehead and he collapsed, falling asleep. Daughter of Morpheus – had to be!

"Take him."

She did as she was told, picking him up and following me to where the battle had taken place. The first thing that struck me was that it no longer looked like a clearing, but a jungle. The second thing? Grant and Zack – also asleep and slung over the back of a hellhound, which seemed like it wanted to take a bite out of Grant's leg. The woman tossed Nico up there with them and then turned back to me.

"My lord?" She asked.

My head shook, "No. I am running out of energy to hold her back and she is fighting me as we speak. I might as well stay here and wait for her to go herself."

I growled. I was right here, dammit! The daughter of Morpheus nodded and ordered everyone to move out. I watched them leave long after I could no longer see them. I was thrown back into my body but I didn't care. I collapsed to the ground and cried.


	10. Chapter 10

**There is a small - somewhat unnoticeable - reference here to my one-shot, Killing Over Shoes or Lack Thereof. It isn't necessary to read it first, but I'd appreciate it if you did!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 10 – Truth and Vision<p>

If Admiral Ackbar were here, I was sure he'd give me an earful. I knew full well I was walking into a trap. I also knew full well that this was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation. I was long past the point of tears and I was numb to the ache in my feet from walking without stopping for a rest. I was sure the man who was currently grumbling in my head was leading me along toward the place where Krios and his lackeys worked.

Most of the time I ignored him and listened only when he'd drop hints about the fate of my friends (which were few and far between). Then he muttered something along the lines of: _Why her?_

"I'd like the answer to that question too. And can I get the name of the guy possessing me?"

_If you want to survive until the next day you should stop asking me questions!_ He demanded, then sighed in frustration. _I'm not possessing you, per se, simply controlling from a distance._

"How? What's the difference?"

_What did I say about questions?_ I found myself in desperate need of an Aspirin. I waited for him to calm down._ If I were possessing you, my soul would entirely inhabit your body and you would have no control over yourself. But only a small portion of my essence is dwelling within you, so I can only influence your actions. While you're unconscious however, that part of me has complete control over you._

"Okay, so we're back to 'why.'" I tried not to dwell on the fact that he had to be pretty powerful to do what he said he could.

_Why indeed. I believe it's one of those 'wrong place, wrong time' instances._

"So, when?"

_Demigods…too curious for your own good – you are starting to get on my nerves!_

"Can I risk getting even more irritating by asking, what nerves?"

He ignored me. _If you really want to know, it was sometime last year – I believe you were in Detroit. You were the perfect candidate. You became angry enough for me to use my influence on you._

I thought back to when the guys and I were in Michigan. That was where we tricked the Cercopes after they stole our weapons and Grants' car.

"Oh." Of course, I had been furious. I had even started get violent on the walls. But I had gotten that angry before at camp, why didn't he start controlling me then?

_You just answered your own question. Those damned borders around it protected you then._

"Hey, I just thought of something. If I technically haven't been sleeping, how am I not tired?" Again, there was no reply. "What? Do you not know?"

_It isn't important, just a side effect._ I let that one slide. It really wasn't important in the long run.

"Why did you capture them anyway? I figured you people would just kill us and be done with it."

_Will you stop?_

"Doubt it."

He sighed again in annoyance. _Take a wild guess._

I thought back to the battle at Knapp's Castle last year. Krios, Perses, and Dunstan said something along the lines of killing to gather pieces of something. Were they using souls to resurrect someone? _Not as dumb as you appear, are you? Now if you don't mind, I'm going to step out to get a reprieve from your endless questioning. Set up camp. I'm not going to waste my own energy tonight._

"Wait!" I heard him groan at the back of my mind, "You never answered me before. What's your name?"

_Let me rephrase: I'm not going to waste my own energy _on you_ tonight. Figure it out yourself._

I felt him leave my mind as I started to fall asleep from lack of my own energy. Name… name…Fred? Harvey? Engelbert? No. It only made sense that this guy would have an ancient Greek name. After all, my life now revolved around it. It hit me just as I fell into unconsciousness – a name that I had heard last year, but didn't understand until now.

Menoitios.

_Titan of violent anger and rash action, not at your service. Now leave me be!_

XxXxX

I was getting tired of these dreams. This white-haired guy, whoever he was, was going to get a piece of my mind whenever I found him – and I was sure as hell going to! He talked to me again, but like the first time, I completely forgot what it was about as soon as he said it, but I remembered what his voice sounded like. It was light and whispery and it rolled off his tongue like silk. The only problem was that what he said had chilled me to the core, filling me with a sense of foreboding stronger than any I had felt before.

Then the dream shifted and I could feel a warm presence. Not like the burning pain Menoitios caused, but a feeling of safety.

"Sorry to interrupt your regular broadcasting, but there's something you need to see. Oh, and don't worry, 'Menny' can't hear you here." I frowned and tried to put my finger on his voice but I was drawing blanks.

Again, my dream shifted. This time I saw myself, walking up to some sort of makeshift altar in what looked like…Waverly Hills Sanitarium? Okay, that was weird. What was I doing back in Louisville? But I saw my friends tied up and Krios and Dunstan welcoming me. The 'why' kept eluding me until I had laid down on that altar. Krios spoke a few words while he held up a jar. It jogged my memory. I had seen it before! It was back in California, I remembered Dunstan being thrown against the wall next to it.

My mind returned to the dream at hand as something happened. The jar was opened and _something_ was being drawn out of me. The answer came as soon as I had thought as such: my soul. My soul was being sucked into that damned jar! It must have been the channel they were using to resurrect whoever-it-was. And then it was over.

My body stood, but I knew that wasn't me in control. Menoitios was just using my shell until he could find one better suited to him. Part of me had just realized that this _guy_ was probably watching my every move for the past few months and I felt nauseous at the thought. But I was even more nauseous when Krios turned the jar's power on my friends.

This wasn't just a dream – this was a vision of the future. A very near future at that. Why was I being shown this? What effect could this have on me? I tried to focus on the driving force behind this power to ask the person that sent me here about these things. But I found that the basis of this power was my own, my ability to see opportunities. It frightened me that I didn't recognize the feel of it sooner. But if this was my power, then was this simply a possible future? Then it clicked.

I made my plan, placing the bet on my soul.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 11 – Countdown<p>

Strangely enough, I awoke feeling full of energy (I wasn't a morning person) and I found that I wasn't hungry in the slightest. A good thing, since all of my foodstuffs were far behind me as well as the only other weapon I had besides my Sica. I continued to walk, now that I had a destination in mind. 'Menny' (I had quickly adopted that name, much to his displeasure) kept his word about not controlling me while I slept. However he was slightly suspicious about how I had figured out where to go on my own. He didn't complain – he just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. That, I could agree on.

I kept telling myself that I would not think of Lucy in the hope of the opposite effect. Most people would have chosen something like elephants or dogs, but this option also gave me the pleasure of annoying 'Menny' as well as myself. It was hard not to think about my plan, and every once-in-a-while I had to catch myself, causing even more suspicion. Thankfully, he either didn't care or was too idiotic to put two and two together. I was leaning toward the former, but I was sure he would figure something out.

The plan had worked all the way up until I had finally run into civilization. I didn't leave the woods yet – the last thing I needed was more suspicion – but I could see the wide interstate, still packed with cars. I walked along, still within the trees, to try and find a sign telling me where I was. When I did, I was quite surprised: I-65. It was a freeway I knew all too well, running from Indiana to Alabama. I sniffed the air. Indiana, alright.

Let me clarify. Indiana air and Kentucky air have very different scents. Though most people wouldn't notice this unless they live in either of these states. I was actually quite surprised that my nose still recognized this difference after the year I've been away from here.

But not as surprised as I was about actually _being_ in Indiana. To travel from New York to here in…what? Two weeks? On foot? Of course I had a little help in that matter, but there must have been some magic involved. Menoitios would neither confirm nor deny it, so I suppose I'd never know. I looked toward the south and saw the John F. Kennedy memorial bridge, with the Louisville skyline on the other side. I was closer to home than I thought.

XxXxX

I was glad that I still remembered these roads like the back of my hand. The faster I got to Waverly, the faster I could save my friends. Menoitios scoffed at me for the near-constant thought of it.

I had stolen some guy's bicycle a while back. It would save me a lot of time and energy. I rode down the streets – once by my old neighborhood and I had to force myself not to go there like a homing pigeon. Getting sidetracked was the last thing I needed, though I was slightly tempted to stop for cake when I saw the date on a sign. I knew just what I'd wish for when I blew out the birthday candles: to survive the night. The thought of finally becoming a legal adult left my mind when I went up the hill toward the old tuberculosis hospital. There was a single light on the top floor. I put down the kickstand of the bike and got off, my eyes never leaving that light. I was sure that was where my friends were.

And then my mental control slipped. My plan was left wide open for Menoitios to see, and see he did. I felt a wave of uncontrolled fury rush through me, and I gasped at the sudden pain that exploded behind it. The titan was beyond words. The anger was obvious, so was the hate. But I felt an undercurrent of something along the lines of fear. That didn't surprise me.

I had figured out how to rid myself of him. That gods-forsaken jar stole the essence of a person. But when there was more than one being within a body, one would assume that the being in control at the time was the object of the ritual. Judging by his offensiveness, this assumption was exactly right. He would be in control when I was unconscious. Therein, laid the only tricky part.

"Damn you! Damn you to the depths of Tartarus!" He growled through me. I clenched my teeth and pressed forward, trying to hide the struggle within. That would give me away for sure. He tried to force himself in control like he had before, but I was expecting it. He yelled a few more choice words inside my head at that.

I was sure I was being led through the hallways by some outside force – I could hardly concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other! In my peripheral vision, I saw the outlines of a few monsters as I passed. They were ignoring me. They were expecting me. I was surprised that none had raised an alarm over my surely-obvious fight with Menoitios.

_Your _plan_ won't work! You'll fail everyone! You are going to be another step to bringing the gods' downfall!_

So it was bully tactics now? Ha! I've had my fair share of dealing with that crowd. I shook my head clear, as I walked into the room where my fate would be decided. I heard my name being called. It sounded distant, but I could tell that it was Grant and Zack. I couldn't hear Nico. I was quite positive that they had him out cold. Waverly was well known for being haunted – something that would give him an edge if he were awake.

I focused on Krios, who held the jar. He didn't smile. Neither of us droned on and on like in the movies. I turned to the makeshift altar and made my way to it. There was no delaying the inevitable. I heard the complaints of my friends and the start of the ritual. Menoitios used even more of his strength and I winced, but otherwise showed nothing of the war within me. I tried my hardest to relax. I prayed to my father for the luck to get me through and then I prayed to Hypnos for a deep sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 12 – Awakening<p>

I felt nothing. That was either a very good thing, or a very bad thing. It wasn't like before, when Menoitios controlled me. It was as if I was floating. Then I started noticing the weight of my body. I felt light-headed. I could feel drops of liquid on my tongue, though it tasted like my mom's homemade Red Velvet Cake. Nectar. Someone was feeding me nectar. I was starting to feel warm, so I turned my head away from the drink. I had just narrowly escaped death and I didn't want to test it again.

I _hoped_ I had escaped death (or whatever it was that happened to the souls once they were stolen from their bodies). If I hadn't, and this was all just some trick of the mind, I was going to be seriously pissed.

"Jade! Are you alright?" I struggled to open my eyes and saw Grant. He was the one feeding me nectar. I tried not to blush when I noticed that I was laying in his lap.

"Of courshe I'm alrigh'," I winced at the horrible slur in my voice and tried to clear my throat. "Can't you see me running around? Doing cartwheels?"

Grant shook his head, but smiled none-the-less. "You're insane."

"I know." I tried to take into account the injuries or aches in my body, but I couldn't find any. Had I already healed? "What happened?"

"Once Krios took the wrong soul, I shadow traveled everyone out of there." Nico. He was awake the whole time.

"You were waiting for me to get there."

I heard the movement of fabric nearby, though I couldn't see it. Then I heard him respond with, "Yes. I woke up about ten minutes before you showed up."

"He explained everything to us," Grant said, "But who _was_ this other person?"

"Menoitios." I stood up with some help from Grant. There were a couple of surprised expressions, but I ignored them. "They're going to come after us, you know."

"We should get moving," Zack agreed, nodding, "Camp would be the safest place."

"You're coming? To camp, I mean."

He nodded. "I don't really see another option. Jade, are you sure you're alright to be walking?"

I had already put on my glasses and started making my way to wherever it was that fate decided I should go. I didn't answer him. I was well enough to walk, run, and fight through the Derby Day crowd if I had to. But that was only physically. I had to do something to occupy my mind or I'd break down. Menoitios was gone, but possession (or whatever it was) wasn't something one threw aside. It wasn't just another hurdle to jump over and continue on your merry way.

I heard the boys get up and start following me. Then I could practically _feel_ Zack freeze. No words were needed.

I growled and whipped out my dagger, bringing it up in defense just in time to block an incoming attack. I didn't recognize the fellow demigod, though I didn't expect I would. He was poorly trained and I knocked him out easily. I scanned the battlefield, Krios was nowhere to be seen. Of course. Then the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I rolled to the side, avoiding a blow that would have sliced my head clean off otherwise.

"It's Jade, right? Daughter of Caerus? I thought you were someone special to have escaped before. To find out you were a nobody like me was quite a surprise." Dunstan smiled and the fight started up again. He said 'nobody' as if it were acid. "It's not too late, you know –"

"Why are all you bad guys so long-winded? No! I'm not joining you!" I ducked under his swing, and stabbed him in his leg. He hissed and slammed the hilt of his sword against my head, dazing me for a few seconds. He jumped back and charged me, I shook free from the dizziness and we locked blades.

"How long do you think it'll last before the gods go back to their old routine, hm? They don't care about us until they want our help."

"I met your mother, Ate." I was positive this would get a rise out of him, and sure enough he glared at me and shoved me away. I fell back, away from another swing that would have decapitated me and rolled back onto my feet. I twisted around, but he parried my blow. "She's worried about you. She's _afraid_ for you!"

"It's all a lie." His eyes said otherwise. He wanted to believe me – to believe he was someone other than a 'tool for the gods'. The battle was getting even harder. He was a good fighter and had far more experience than me. That thought was only proved when I caught a gash on my side.

"Dammit, Porcher!" Suddenly I felt a familiar sensation. A feeling I hadn't had in a long time: my own power at work, giving me my options.

Only, it never reached me. Instead, it reached out to Dunstan. His eyes went blank for the briefest of moments. I didn't know what he saw, but it was enough to make him stop his attack. He looked at me quizzically – wondering how I did it, I suppose. I know _I_ was wondering that. I could tell he was thinking hard over whatever his options were. I could see he was hesitating.

I must not have been the only one. One second he was lost in thought. The next, an arrow sprouted from his chest. I gasped and rushed to help him, but when I checked for his pulse, I found none. I scanned the area, looking for the murderer.

The only people I saw were my friends, rushing to me, and the crowd of monsters and demigods behind them, rushing after them. Nico grabbed a hold of my arm and the other two. Just before the mob reached us, he had shadow-traveled us away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.**

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><p>When Luck is All You Have – 13 – The Future: Opportunities Abound<p>

We landed hard on the ground just outside of the camp's borders. I landed right on top of Grant (in any other circumstance, I probably would have blushed). I leapt to my feet and looked around. Zack had just gotten up as well, but Nico was passed out. I wasn't surprised – it must have taken a lot out of him to shadow-travel twice in one night, and over such a long distance. No words were spoken as Grant and Zack picked him up and we headed toward the Big House.

Chiron was standing on the porch next to a son of Apollo I vaguely remembered. When they saw us they rushed over and immediately started helping out. Chiron didn't seem surprised to see me or Zack, so he must have been forewarned of our coming. Once we got inside, the son of Apollo started working on healing the son of Hades. Chiron turned to me.

"Start from the beginning, Jade." I flinched and turned around. That wasn't Chiron's voice, it was Kyle's. I couldn't meet his eyes, but I started talking.

"Last year, on the quest, I somehow got possessed or something along those lines." I thought he would laugh, but he remained completely serious.

"By whom?" Chiron asked. I took a deep breath.

"Menoitios." I saw his tail flick and his eyes slightly widen, but he nodded for me to continue. "I got angry enough last year that I became suitable enough for him to control. He's been the one influencing me into being so…quick-to-anger. He destroyed the arena by controlling my body while I was unconscious."

He nodded, motioning for me to continue.

"I ran off because I was afraid it would happen again. From then on it was just me, fending for myself. Then I ran into Zack," I gestured toward him and then to the other two, "And then they found us."

Grant took over. "We were ambushed by Krios' army – there's more than we thought. As far I know, Jade lost control over herself again and we were overwhelmed. Nico, Zack, and I were taken to Waverly Hills Sanitarium in Louisville, Kentucky. That's where they were holding out."

I growled at that. _No one_ messed with my hometown! "I was led there. I had a hunch that I could both save them and get rid of the damn parasite. They had this jar – it can suck out a person's soul. If they get enough souls, they're planning to resurrect someone."

Loaded glances were passed around the room. I knew what they were thinking. It only made sense that the person they wanted to summon was the king of the titans, himself. It was who most of them once served. I continued, "I…took a risk, fell into unconsciousness and let Menoitios take over. He was the one that got his soul sucked out instead."

"That's when Nico shadow-traveled us away," Grant said, "But we were ambushed again. We fought, he shadow-traveled us again. Now we're here."

Chiron nodded once again seeming to think over this information."And what of the titan and the boy, Dunstan?"

"Krios escaped and Dunstan…."

"Dunstan Porcher is dead." I stated bluntly.

The camp director looked saddened, but sighed and turned to Zack. "A new camper, then?"

Zack nodded. "Zack Breckenridge, son of Demeter."

"I suppose we'll go ahead and register you. Plus, I'd like to have a word about your past." Zack grimaced. "The rest of you can return to your cabins. I'm sure you've had a long day."

I was the first to leave the room. My hands were tucked into the pockets of my jeans – a nervous habit. I was halfway to my cabin when I was turned around and found myself in a hug. Grant. It was over far too soon. He stared at me for a second longer, then kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad you're safe. Night, Jade." He then walked off, toward his own cabin. I stood there, stunned. For one, I was a little miffed that that was all he said. For another…it was like nothing had changed. Like he hadn't broken up with me.

I smiled for a second before becoming distressed again. Then I heard someone cough. I looked to my left to see Kyle standing there, sending a withering look in the direction Grant left in. "Was there something you wanted to say, Kyle?"

He looked back to me, the expression gone in a flash. He nodded. "There's something I want to give you."

I held out my hand, but he pushed it down. "Not that kind of thing. It isn't material….I've been at camp a long time. I'm almost twenty years old!"

"You're leaving." I guessed. I knew it had to happen at some point. He nodded again.

"I'm handing you the torch." I recoiled a bit and my eyes widened.

"Lucy's been here longer –"

He raised an eyebrow. "Would you really trust the cabin to Lucy?"

"Point taken. But seriously, I'm no leader. And you know what I've just been through! I'm an emotional mess right now!"

"No arguments. You may be an 'emotional mess right now', but you'll overcome it….You were born for great things, Jade. I know it. Being in charge of the cabin is only the first step." He seemed to completely believe his words. I looked down and away. Then my glasses fell out of my pocket as I took out my hands. He picked them up and looked them over for a second. "These are the ones from our father? Hm…I never really understood why he gave them to you. Fate and opportunity never really get along well."

He handed them back to me and smiled. He tousled my hair and left for the cabin, probably to finish up his packing. I just stood there, wondering how the hell I was going to get Lucy to follow the rules, worrying about how badly I was sure to do, among other things.

I remembered my father's words to me, telling me to keep my temper in check. Had he known about Menoitios? My anger was definitely my weakness. My fatal flaw, as I heard some others refer to such a thing as. Fatal was right. I wondered if I should take anger management, and if so, should I take Grant and Zack with me?

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I turned around. I caught a small glimpse of golden curls and wondered who would be up at this hour. I shook my head – it was probably one of the Hermes kids – and headed for my cabin.

For the first time in months, my night was peaceful.

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><p><strong>And so ends another chapter in Jade's life. You can find information on progress of the next one, When Nothing Else is True, on my profile page. I will also upload a 'Coming Soon' chapter like I did with When Opportunity Strikes.<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who read my story. Especially to my reviewers: MyNameIsNot and gummybearsrock.**


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